Title:The Wildling Sisters
Author:Eve Chase
Narrator:Clare Corbett, Emilia Fox
Published:July 2017, Penguin Audio
Length:10 hours 46 minutes
Source:Library
Four sisters. One summer. A lifetime of secrets.
When
fifteen-year-old Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote Manor
in June 1959, they expect a quiet English country summer. Instead, they
find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their
daughter, Audrey, five years before. As the sisters become divided by
new tensions when two handsome neighbors drop by, Margot finds herself
drawn into the life Audrey left behind. When the summer takes a deadly
turn, the girls must unite behind an unthinkable choice or find
themselves torn apart forever.Fifty years later, Jesse is
desperate to move her family out of their London home, where signs of
her widower husband’s previous wife are around every corner. Gorgeous
Applecote Manor, nestled in the English countryside, seems the perfect
solution. But Jesse finds herself increasingly isolated in their new
sprawling home, at odds with her fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, and
haunted by the strange rumors that surround the manor.
My thoughts:Ever since reading and loving Eve Chase’s debut novel, Black Rabbit Hall, I knew I would be picking up more books by this author. So of course as soon as I saw she had another one out, I put it on reserve at the library – I just love that my library had it!!!
This was another great haunting mystery with gothic undertones to it. I loved the dual narrative used, though I have to admit that this time around, I was a little more invested in the past story line than I was in the present – sometimes that happens! It’s told in the 1950s and in the present and for some reason I just felt more drawn to the four sisters’ story in the past than Jesse’s story in the present. Though, I do feel that the two story lines do link up quite nicely in the end and that doesn’t always happen.
This book is ultimately about the bonds of sisterhood and family and is set against a house that has seen it’s share of secrets. What truly kept me hooked, though, is the writing. This is where this book shines. There’s the sense of intrigue that builds up, with just the hint of foreboding that keeps you on your toes, wanting to know what’s going to happen next. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, and even the house itself becomes a character in it’s own right.
Eve Chase is definitely going down as a favorite author of good gothic mysteries and I will be looking forward to seeing what comes next from her. I liked this one, though I do have to say, I think Black Rabbit Hall is still my favorite!
Audio thoughts:I thought the audio production of this book was well done. I’ve listened to Clare Corbett before, but Emilia Fox is new to me. I enjoyed each of the narrator’s sections and thought they did a great job portraying their characters. This was a good book to listen to – it had that haunting, mysterious element to it that came across in the audio production.
